Supplemental inflatable restraint installations in a vehicle are normally mounted beneath interior trim structure, such as the instrument panel, formed with a deployment opening through which an inflatable air bag can deploy into the passenger compartment of the vehicle when activated. Such installations require that the deployment opening be closed by a door and that the door be secured in a tamper proof closed position to prevent inadvertent opening of the door until such time as the air bag is deployed. Examples of known hold down devices include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,893,833 to DiSalvo et al.; 5,211,421 to Catron et al.; 5,333,901 to Barnes; 5,403,034 to Gans et al.; and 5,460,402 to Rhodes, Jr.
Many of these prior hold down devices are of complex design requiring numerous component parts separately manufactured from the door and trim structure adding time, cost and difficulty to the manufacture and installation of the restraint system.
An air bag door hold down arrangement according to the present invention provides a very simple, low cost and yet reliable means of securing the door in a tamper proof closed position until such time as the air bag is deployed.